Upcoming Major Events

AmCham Holds First Tennis Cup

The American Chamber of Commerce in Russia, in collaboration with Gold`s Gym, held the first AmCham Tennis Cup on April 23, 2015 at Gold's Gym.

The Chamber thanks Gold's Gym for sponsoring and hosting the event, and all players for their participation.

AmCham congratulates the winners:

1st Place - Ilya Dragunskiy (Gold`s Gym)

2nd Place - Leonardo Santarelli (MSD Pharmaceuticals)

3rd Place - Andrei Kartashev (HP)

AmCham Holds Second Business Fair

The American Chamber of Commerce in Russia held its second Business Fair on April 17 at the DI Telegraph in central Moscow. The event was sponsored by Pond Mobile and Stupino 1 Industrial Park.

Over 300 participants engaged in pre-arranged five-minute one-on-one meetings, which ran according to individual schedules throughout the day. Alexis Rodzianko, President & CEO of AmCham Russia, spoke live on RBC during the event.

The AmCham Business Fair is an effective business-networking and procurement platform for companies selling products and services to large corporate clients, and for companies looking to outsource specific operational processes to external suppliers. Numerous suppliers won tenders with large international companies as a result of the previous Business Fair held in October.

Birgit Hansl Presents World Bank's Russia Economic Report #33

The American Chamber of Commerce in Russia held a briefing this morning with Birgit Hansl, the World Bank's Program Leader and Lead Economist for the Russian Federation, Europe and Central Asia. Ms. Hansl presented the 33rd edition of the Russia Economic Report - "The Dawn of a New Economic Era" - which includes analysis of recent economic developments, the impact of sanctions, and the economic outlook going forward.

Over 60 AmCham member company executives attended the briefing, which was opened by AmCham Board member Derek Boudreau, Managing Director of John Deere Russia.

Russia's Internet Ombudsman Discusses Law on Storage of Personal Data of Russian Citizens

The American Chamber of Commerce in Russia held a high-level policy briefing on April 1 with Dmitriy Marinichev - Russia's Internet Ombudsman. Mr. Marinichev briefed over 130 AmCham member company executives on RF Federal Law 242 on the storage of personal data & steps to minimize its negative impact on business.

The law, which comes into effect on September 1, 2015, has created concern within the business community. In the course of his address, Mr. Marinichev discussed the law's implications from the points of view of business and the state. He also discussed the activities of his working group, which is preparing recommendations for submission to RF President Putin. Among the recommendations is a the proposal to postpone the law for one year, and to introduce amendments into RF Federal law 152 regarding the definition of personal data.

The event was co-moderated by AmCham President & CEO Alexis Rodzianko and Ron Lewin, Managing Director of TerraLink Technologies and co-chair of the AmCham Innovation & Technology Committee.

AmCham's Innovation & Technology Committee met on March 27 to discuss market trends and business issues affecting the IT sector.

Robert Farish, Vice President, IDC Russia/CIS, presented the ICT market results for 2014 and a forecast for 2015; Alexander Onishchuk, President, RATEK (Association of Trading Companies and Manufacturers of Electrical Household and Computer Equipment), provided an updated on Federal Law 242 on the storage and processing of personal data of Russian citizens; and Natalya Loseva, Project Manager / Professional Employment Services Manager, Acsour, presented the results of a survey conducted by Acsour in February 2015 to determine how IT companies are reacting to the current economic situation.

AmCham Holds Further Sanctions Meeting

The American Chamber of Commerce in Russia held a further meeting on March 17 devoted to Russia-related sanctions. A capacity group of AmCham executives heard analysis from Alexander Bychkov (Partner, Baker & McKenzie), Varvara Knutova (Head of Group, Dispute Resolution, Goltsblat BLP), and William Muntean (Chief, Trade and Investment Unit, Economic Section, U.S. Embassy).

Earlier on February 5, the Chamber held a similar event dedicated to Crimean sanctions. Shane DeBeer (Partner, Dechert LLP) gave a legal overview of U.S. sanctions regarding Crimea, after which Alexander Chmelev (Partner, Baker & McKenzie - CIS, Limited) spoke on the practical implications of the sanctions and the risks arising due to conflicts between Russian laws and the prohibitions and restrictions imposed by the sanctions. The slide presentations are available to download in .pdf format: Dechert | Baker & McKenzie

APKIT Executive Director Discusses Law on Storage of Personal Data

The American Chamber of Commerce in Russia held a briefing on March 20 with Nikolai Komlev, Executive Director of APKIT (Information & Computer Technologies Industry Association / Ассоциации Предприятий Компьютерных и Информационных Технологий). Mr. Komlev discussed a range of issues of concern to business, in particular the law on storage of personal data, restrictions on the purchase of foreign software by Russian state organizations, and the waste management law. A question and answer session was moderated by AmCham President & CEO Alexis Rodzianko. Over 75 member company executives filled the Chamber's conference room to capacity for the event.

The event, which was hosted by the St. Regis Moscow Nikolskaya and sponsored by Gowlings, served as the pre-meeting reception ahead of the International Trademark Association's (INTA's) 137th annual meeting to be held in San Diego in early May.

On March 12, AmCham President & CEO Alexis Rodzianko participated in a meeting with Sergey Naryshkin, Chairman of the RF State Duma, and the heads of other foreign business associations and major foreign companies operating in Russia. Among the participants were Glenn Waller (President, ExxonMobil Russia Inc.), Joerg Bongartz (Chairman of the Board, Deutsche Bank Russia), Maurizio Patarnello (CEO, Nestle Russia and Eurasia Region), Silviu Popovich (Managing Director, PepsiCo Russia), and Zoran Vucinic (President, Russia, Ukraine & Belarus Business Unit, The Coca-Cola Company).

One of the major issues discussed was the RF Law on Protection of Personal Data, which has been causing concern to many businesses. In his remarks on the topic, Alexis Rodzianko noted that the business community has requested that the law be postponed, given that the corresponding regulatory acts have not net been finalized. "Without the necessary regulations the law is open to interpretation," he cautioned.

AmCham President Participates in InvestRus Conference for Investment Growth in Russia

On March 11, Alexis Rodzianko, President & CEO of the American Chamber of Commerce in Russia, participated in the 2015 InvestRus International Conference for Investment Growth in Russia. The event was held under the auspices of the Investment Council of Sergey Naryshkin, Chairman of the RF State Duma. Some of the key issues raised were: identifying new sources of investment in a crisis environment; improving the legislative framework for investment; employing regional best practices; and defining new opportunities for mutual investment within the Eurasian Economic Union.

AmCham President Speaks with Russian News Service (РСН)

"Alexei Pushkov’s appeal to McDonalds and Coca-Cola, which he published in his microblog on Twitter, looks counterproductive," said President & CEO of the American Chamber of Commerce in Russia Alexis Rodzianko in his comments to "The Russian News Service" (РСН). Mr. Rodzianko went on to make the point that politics should be taken out of the business relationship between Russia and the US.

"We do our best not to interfere in the relationships between the two countries and to continue to do business, which benefits both parties. As I understand, this position is welcomed by both the Russian and American governments," he said.

Mr. Rodzianko said that by proposing that the largest American companies leave the Russian market, Mr. Pushkov was attacking his own economy. "Both Coca-Cola and McDonald's are Russian companies. They provide a wide range of food, products and services to their customers in Russia, and most are produced here in Russia. These are the companies whose business activities benefit not only the companies themselves, but the Russian consumer. They pay a lot of taxes and conduct their business openly and transparently."

Mr. Rodzianko noted that after the introduction of U.S. sanctions practically all American companies continued to operate in Russia.

Anna Kozlovskaya, Public Affairs and Communications Director at The Coca-Cola Company, Russia, Ukraine & Belarus, and member of the AmCham Russia Board of Directors, commented that Mr. Pushkov’s call to Coca-Cola and McDonald's to save Russia from its products, and thereby support U.S. sanctions against Russia - sounds populist and contradicts the position of the Russian government to attract investment and create new jobs for the Russian economy.

AmCham Condolences

The American Chamber of Commerce in Russia and its President and CEO Alexis Rodzianko were deeply saddened to hear about the criminal shooting and death of Boris Nemtsov. We would like to offer our deepest sympathy to his relatives and friends. Boris Nemtsov will be remembered as an outstanding Russian politician and statesman - a true friend of his country.

Viktor Khristenko Discusses the Eurasian Economic Union

The American Chamber of Commerce in Russia, in collaboration with the U.S.-Russia Business Council (USRBC), held a special business event on February 18 - "The Eurasian Economic Union: Broadening Markets for Business" - with a delegation of officials from the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC). The delegation was led by Viktor Khristenko, Chairman of the EEC and former RF Minister of Industry & Trade (2008-2012) and RF Minister of Industry & Energy (2004-2008).

Mr. Khristenko made a keynote address on the work of the EEC, after which remarks were made by AmCham Russia President & CEO Alexis Rodzianko, USRBC President & CEO Daniel Russell, and AmCham Armenia President Tigran Jrbashyan. Following were three panel discussions focusing on technical regulations, customs issues, and issues specific to manufacturing and agriculture.

Over 200 AmCham executives attended the five-hour event, which was sponsored by GE, Microsoft and Pfizer and hosted by the Swissôtel Krasnye Holmy Moscow.

U.S. Ambassador John Tefft Speaks on U.S.-Russia Relations

The American Chamber of Commerce in Russia held a briefing on January 20 with John Tefft, U.S. Ambassador to the Russian Federation. Ambassador Tefft spoke on the current state of U.S.-Russia relations and addressed questions from AmCham members on the economic, political and investment climate in Russia and the prospects for 2015 and beyond.

The event was moderated by AmCham Russia President Alexis Rodzianko. Over 200 AmCham member company executives attended the briefing at the St. Regis Moscow Nikolskaya hotel.

Transcripts of Ambassador Tefft's remarks are available on the U.S. Embassy website: English | Russian

[main photograph from left (click to enlarge): John Tefft, U.S. Ambassador to the Russian Federation; Alexis Rodzianko, President of AmCham Russia]

AmCham Advocacy on Federal Law No. 242-FZ on the Storage of Personal Data

In December, a delegation of AmCham member executives met with Vartan Khachaturov, Deputy Head of the Infrastructure Projects Department, RF Ministery of Communications and Mass Media, to discuss issues related to the Federal Law No. 242-FZ on the storage of personal data. The delegation, comprising senior representatives of Delta Airlines, P&G, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, American Express, Western Union, Citi, Paypal, and GE, raised a number of issues, such as the definition of "personal data," the "depersonalization" of data that is transferred and stored abroad, and special legal regimes for banks. A month previous, a delegation of AmCham executives participated in a round table with Alexei Sokolov, Deputy Minister of Communications and Mass Media, and other Ministry officials.

The law stipulates that operators - both Russian and foreign legal entities and individuals - of web resources, through which personal data of Russian citizens are collected, are required to ensure that the databases used to record, systemize, accumulate, store, amend, update and retrieve data are located in Russia. Adopted on July 21, 2014, the law was originally due to enter into force on September 1, 2016, but may now enter into force on September 1, 2015, following a recent proposal put forward by the RF State Duma. AmCham is planning a series of future meetings with State Duma legislators and MinSvyaz officials to ensure the continued engagement and involvement of AmCham businesses.

The Chamber's Innovation & Technology Committee has held several events dedicated to the law. On December 12, Committee members heard a presentation by Arseny Siedov (Partner, Baker & McKenzie), who spoke on key implications of the law for business and the latest developments with respect to scope, implimentation and enforcement. To receive the presentation, please contact AmCham at db@amcham.ru. The event follows on from an October 6 Committee meeting, where over 120 members gathered at the Swissôtel Krasnye Holmy Moscow to hear legal presentations by AmCham member company lawyers.

AmCham Member Sanctions Analysis

AmCham Member Sanctions Analysis is a new section of the AmCham website that provides a platform for AmCham members to share their analysis of sanctions against Russia. The section will be updated on an ongoing basis to reflect new developments and will serve as an information resource to help AmCham member companies guage the potential impact on their business operations in Russia.

U.S. Treasury Hotline on Operation of U.S. Sanctions

AmCham members with specific questions regarding the operations of U.S. sanctions related to the Ukraine crisis may use the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) compliance hotline at 1.800.540.6322 or present inquiries for formal interpretive guidance by e-mail to ofac_feedback@treasury.gov.